A Cornwall Council planning committee heard yesterday (Monday, September 22) that there have been over 200 objections from members of the public to plans to build a new 64-bed car home in Par, near St Austell.

The area’s Reform UK councillor brought the matter to committee due to concerns about the overbearing scale of the proposed Cornwallis Care Services home at Hendra Court.

The company’s plan was to demolish part of an existing Grade II listed 50-bed care home and build a new one next door with 14 extra beds. The old building would be used for staff offices and accommodation. Cornwall Council’s planning department recommended approval, stating that it would “make use of previously developed land in a sustainable location and would provide a significant contribution towards much-needed care provision for the local area”.

Councillors heard from Karen Clarke, who was speaking on behalf of residents. She said the care home would be built directly opposite the main window of her house at a height of 12.8 metres. “That’s equivalent to a four-floor block of flats. Would of any of you here today want to live with that so close to your home?”

She said the development would be overbearing on several homes and would impact a “huge area of the community” and create noise and overshadowing which don’t happen with the current care home. Mrs Clarke argued that the design was not dementia-friendly according to government principles. “This building would be intimidating to the neighbours – what are the dementia patients going to make of it?”

Cllr David Hughes represented Tywardreath and Par Parish Council, which also opposed the application. He said the need for additional dementia care and accommodation wasn’t disputed. However, he argued the development would be a “large, monolithic edifice more appropriate to a budget hotel in an inner city, which ignores guidance on design of such institutions and is totally out of keeping with its semi-rural location”.

“In over 20 years as a councillor in planning matters in this area, I’m not aware of a single application which has generated so much public objection,” added Cllr Hughes, who said extant approval for an extension offering 40 extra beds, granted in 2008, would lead to much less opposition and provide 26 more beds than the current plan.

Chartered town planning Chloe Pitt, representing the applicant, told the committee: “The need for this development is undeniable.” She said the beds would help meet demand for 127 additional care beds needed in the area. “The current care home is no longer fit for purpose – it cannot meet modern standards.”

Regarding concerns about its scale, she said the building’s design had been carefully readjusted with its maximum height of 12.9 metres being significantly lower than the 30 metres suggested in some objections. She said privacy concerns had been addressed by the inclusion of obscure glazing, angled windows and landscaping buffers.

The local member Cllr Ian Wilson (Fowey, Tywardreath & Par, Reform UK) asked why the previous application – which would give a total of 90 beds – was not being considered as it “contradicted” the need for a lesser, controversial 64-bed development. Ms Pitt responded that the previous permission was old and would not meet today’s standards. She didn’t think it would now be approved.

Cllr Wilson said: “The application offers only 14 extra beds and has 212 objections on the council portal. What they’re objecting to is the proposal of a massive monolithic structure at an equivalent height to that of the four-storey Premier Inn that’s planned to be built on the old Cornwallis care home site in St Ives.” He added that the “colossal building” would have a huge impact on neighbours.

Although she said she liked the idea of a new build and the old building being used by staff, committee member Cllr Joanna Kenny (Newquay Central & Pentire, Liberal Democrat) believed the development would be overbearing, particularly on homes to the east of the site. She proposed refusal as a result.

Cllr Steven Webb (Truro Moresk & Trehaverne, Liberal Democrat) seconded the proposal to refuse, adding that the current listed care home and the proposed new building “just don’t fit next to each other” and was thus out of character with the area. A vote to refuse due to to the scale of the development being unneighbourly due to overlooking, overshadowing and its overbearing nature was won with nine votes in favour, none against and two abstentions.